In and out 2 2

[universal soldier]

No time, I've just come to read the meter.

How many times have you left collecting? For me it was three times.

Sophomore year of high school (because girls ) until 4 year later when I met up with a guy from college who re-introduced me via the Perez run of the Teen Titans, I was all in after that.

The second time was from 1989 to to early 1994 where it came a choice of paying rent or comics.

The third was from 2014 to 2019 where I didn't buy anything but moderns. Single primary parent with a daughter in college so priorities took precedence but I'm making up for it in the past 2 years!

Quick aside, the guy from college now is the owner of my LCS so full circle there I guess.

[dupont2005]

Around 1991 I left until about 2008, only time I quit comics completely although my enthusiasm for the hobby varies, as does my collecting focus. I’m down to a couple hundred a year on comics, mostly recently printed hardcovers.

[lizards2]

I stopped buying for few brief periods, but I was never a quitter. I think I started collecting seriously around 1972, but was reading and tracking down stuff as early as 1967ish when I was about 6.

[grendelbo]

This is from my Newbie Introduction a few months back -

My hobby is now 31 years old and lately I've been looking at it as 3 phases. Life and other pursuits drew me away a few times.

1. Age 10-20. Collect and amass really whatever interested me as I matured or was popular at the time. Try to get old books. Jump on those keys if they ever appeared and I could afford through chores.

2. Age 28-35. Walking Dead actually brought me back as I'm a long time zombie fan. That got me back into the shops. I bought new and starting searching out keys. Again I got lucky from time to time. Interestingly, I never went back to finishing runs I started as a kid. Gaps were ok.

At the tail end of this period I got rid of many, many comicbooks. I sold many dirt cheap to dealers and donated a few long boxes to auction off to charity. (Every so often I do run across a now-key that I got rid of. New Mutants 98, for example. There's actually quite a few but I remind myself of what I kept and move on. I have never replaced something I sold off.) I'm still trying to figure out why I dumped so much of my collection and quit the hobby. I know my reading backlog kept growing and I began looking at many of my comicbooks without enjoyment and as drek. I also think I wished I'd spent my money focusing more on important books instead of issues that didn't age well. That philosophizing continues....

3. The past almost 2 years. Funny enough, Walking Dead brought me back again when I heard Rick was being killed off. Since then I've been purchasing keys (mostly Bronze) here and there, but mainly just enjoying what I have. And that's where I'll probably sit for a while. A year ago I could buy decent issues at fair prices. Now it's all too much. I must be pretty content with what I have because there's really nothing out there that I'd pay big money for. These books were $0.15! So instead I'll catalogue, rebag, display, expert myself in grading, and read & enjoy.

[universal soldier]

On 9/16/2021 at 10:37 PM, lizards2 said:

I stopped buying for few brief periods, but I was never a quitter. I think I started collecting seriously around 1972, but was reading and tracking down stuff as early as 1967ish when I was about 6.

I started understanding the value and the need to take care of my books around 1975/76 but remember the "cool" older kids at camp around 72 having comics that they wouldn't let me read. That really sparked my interest in the hobby. 

[grendelbo]

On 9/16/2021 at 8:56 PM, universal soldier said:

I started understanding the value and the need to take care of my books around 1975/76 but remember the "cool" older kids at camp around 72 having comics that they wouldn't let me read. That really sparked my interest in the hobby. 

What were those off-limit books? SA keys then 10 years old? GA?

[lizards2]

On 9/16/2021 at 7:56 PM, universal soldier said:

I started understanding the value and the need to take care of my books around 1975/76 but remember the "cool" older kids at camp around 72 having comics that they wouldn't let me read. That really sparked my interest in the hobby. 

A camp counselor borrowed my Hulk 157, then I later saw it folded in half in his back pocket..., 

[universal soldier]

On 9/16/2021 at 10:59 PM, grendelbo said:

What were those off-limit books? SA keys then 10 years old? GA?

I can remember one of the covers being ASM #73 and this was 1972 or 1973 so the book was only 3-4 years old at that point. They were a bit older than me so 10 -11 seems about right. I remember he kept them in his suitcase.

[Cushing Fan]

I've bought comics since I was a kid living in Brooklyn and my dad would bring me to the local candy store where I got my books. I had a few hundred issues,  mostly Marvel, from 1978 to 1985. Sold them all for $1 a book in the early 1990s as I wanted to buy key Silver Age books. Only kept my Hulk 250 which I still own. Bought and sold numerous Silver Age keys, mostly Silver Surfer, until I sold them all to buy a  classic car (another expensive hobby) about ten years ago. Sold the car to get an inground pool four years ago and since my wife doesn't presently want me to get another classic car, I used a chunk of the money to buy more Silver Age keys and I'm still building my collection.  I don't plan on selling my comics again unless I'm upgrading my copies.

[MattTheDuck]

In from '72 - '78, out from '78 - '92, in long enough to pick up a dozen copies of ASM 361/362 and some other issues from #171-360, and some FF's, out from '92-2020.  In now.

[Vixom]

Never. Loved comics since I could read and watch cartoons. Then as an adult they made some good movies. Then the MCU came along and made more movies and took what was an expensive hobby for me to a great investment. Never stopped buying but I haven't paid retail for a marvel key since Disney purchased Fox. Haven't read much in a decade. Still enjoy buying. I lost interest in the movies though. Endgame was the end. Haven't seen widow chi and no plans to see eternals. Maybe play them as background noise sometime and see of they catch my interest.  

[HotKey]

I was in if from childhood until 1993 when my collection got stolen. I was out of it until last year.

[Jesse-Lee]

Collected as a kid until about freshman year of high school (1992). Most of those books were unfortunately either gone, in poor condition, or drek. Got back into it a little in college, but never really had the money, so I just bought stuff strictly to read and a lot of those are also gone or worthless, like beat-up trade paperbacks. Then I jumped back in last year - got the bug when I went to a local antique show and found some books for cheap. Getting back in was my COVID hobby I guess. Jumped back in with both feet - I tried to come in on a tight budget, but started buying graded key books and hunting for raw deals.

I've spent a lot in the past year or so, but I've done well value-wise. Now I'm starting to sell off some stuff, recoup some funds and try to focus in a little more (although I'm a sucker for a good sale/convention/antique show, etc. and can't help myself sometimes!).

Edited September 17, 2021 by Jesse-Lee

[followtheleader]

Burger?
That's what she said?

Patrick

[Ken Aldred]

I can’t really think of any period during which I stopped collecting or reading completely, but there have been transitions in the ways I’ve gone about it. 73 to 77 would be the initial phase when I bought solely from the newsstand, 78 onwards I’d discovered and focused on marts and shops where I could get comics not distributed to the U.K. and back issues, and that persisted all the way through until 2010.  I don’t recall a single year during which no comics were purchased. Slowdowns due to focusing on education or being penniless, maybe.

Due to health issues, I gave up making the weekly trek to the LCS in 2010, although, looking back, I should’ve done that much sooner.  I experimented with going to a few of the London conventions instead, but ended up concluding those had also been far too demanding because of the same aforementioned issues. That won’t be a pandemic-related hiatus, as if and when things improve I won’t return to that activity, nor even miss it. I stopped buying back issue original comics in 2014, when speculator activity really began to escalate prices and, looking at how insane the market has now become, I believe I did myself a big favour and dodged the bullet with my timing.

I’m still continuing to buy comics to read in digital format, which I can do in the house with the most minimal of effort and in a way which is the most comfortable and appropriate to my autistic health limitations.
 

Prospectively, I can’t envisage my fondness for this medium declining any time in the future, regardless of how I decide to focus on it.

Edited September 17, 2021 by Ken Aldred

[universal soldier]

On 9/17/2021 at 1:43 AM, Jesse-Lee said:

I tried to come in on a tight budget

 

The struggle is real! I say the same but shiny things....

[theCapraAegagrus]

Unless for some massive and unforeseen reason I must liquidate my collection, I won't ever leave. I have a lot to learn about the history of comics, and there always seem to be small things here or there that I feel I must purchase. Comic characters have always been a part of my life, thanks to my parents, and I don't intend on abandoning them.

I could see myself going into a lull where I distance myself from the hobby, but I always intend on being around. I see nothing wrong with getting out and then going back in, though. Everyone's mileage will vary.

[MatterEaterLad]

In college. Girls and not enough money for comics. Left it until my late 20s, then started buying again.

Then stopped again when my kids were little. Not enough money, or time.

Never completely sold the original collection from my youth, though I did once sell all my X-Men to pay for a family vacation. It was money well spent.

[comicginger1789]

Started around 2000/2001 and went straight into vintage stuff from the 70s and 80s. Have never stopped since then. University I slowed buying a LOT but still managed to grab some stuff each year. 

[Gaard]

Stopped in the early 80s - marriage and mortgage. As far as I'm concerned, those 2 'M' words are evil!  When my son turned 18, I became rich (not really, but the Child Support came to an end) and went crazy with the comic buying.